Deuteronomy 33: Lessons from Moses’ Final Blessings

Moses’ final blessings1

Introduction: Believers can learn a lot from the final words of the great leaders in the Bible. With Noah’s final recorded words, he blessed and gave prophetic words for his children (Gen. 9:24-27). During what Isaac mistakenly thought were his final days, he sought to bless his eldest son Esau. Yet, he was tricked into giving that blessing to Jacob (Gen. 27:34-41). At the end of his life, Jacob / Israel blessed the children of Joseph and adopted them as his own (Gen. 48:13-22). In the final moments of his life, he then blessed and gave prophetic words to each of his 12 sons (Gen. 49:1-27). At the end of Moses’ life, he also blessed and gave prophetic words to each of the 12 tribes (Dt. 33:1-29). Jesus’ final words on the cross included the blessing of forgiveness for those who persecuted Him (Lk. 23:34). After His resurrection, His final words included a blessing that He would never leave or forsake His people: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20). This study traces the prophetic blessings through Israel and then through Moses. While some tribes seized their prophetic blessings, others did not. Any believer in Christ is an heir to the blessings offered to Abraham’s descendants (Gal. 3:29). Thus, these lessons from the 12 tribes apply to you. From the different examples of the 12 tribes, God reveals seven lessons for believers to both seize His blessings and to bless others.

First, from Moses’ final exhortation, God instructs believers to listen to, believe in, and confess God’s Word as true. In the New Testament, the Bible reveals the Word that we confess to be Jesus Christ. When you confess Him as your Lord and savior, God promises to bless you in heaven. Second, Moses began by recounting the blessings of three of the first four sons of Leah. The first four sons committed terrible sins. Each was blessed with God’s mercy and grace. Yet, those with the greatest blessings amongst these four (Levi and Judah) repented of their sins and served God. Like the first four tribal fathers, you also have been blessed with God’s mercy and grace. Like Levi and Judah, you too can enjoy the blessings that come from repenting of your sins and serving God. Third, while recounting the first four sons of Leah, Moses omitted Simeon. Like Levi, God judged him. Yet, unlike Levi, he never repented of its sins. His tribe only fell further into sin. Eventually, it would be absorbed by the tribe of Judah and disappear as its own tribe. It became the first of the future lost tribes of Israel. You are called to be a light to God’s lost people, like the tribe of Simeon. Fourth, Moses then blessed the children of Rachel (out of order as Benjamin and Joseph). Each was blessed for its faithfulness. Yet, the tribes that succeeded them did not follow in their fathers’ examples. As a result, they lost the blessings granted to their founding fathers. You will also be blessed for your faithfulness. You as well are warned that if you turn away from God there are certain blessings (unrelated to your salvation) that may temporarily be unavailable to you. Fifth, Moses next blessed, out of their correct order, the final two sons of Leah; Zebulun and Issachar. These two sons would always be listed and blessed together. From this, God reveals that He will bless you when you act in unity of the Spirit with the greater body of Christ. Sixth, Moses next blessed the four sons of Jacob / Israel’s concubines. Each was a child born of the flesh. Each would be considered an illegitimate child today. Each was blessed to be an adopted tribe of God. Yet, each failed to live up to the full potential of their blessings. You as well are blessed to be an adopted child of God. You as well are called upon to live up to the full potential of the blessings offered to you. Finally, from Moses’ final praise to God, he reveals that you should always give thanks for God’s mercy and grace in your life. Like the 12 tribes, you have received His mercy by not receiving the punishment you deserve. Like the 12 tribes, you have also received His grace by receiving blessings you do not deserve.

1) The Blessings to Those Who Listen to, Believe in, and Confess the Messiah. Dt. 33:1-5.

2. The First Four Sons of Leah: God’s Blessings of Mercy and Grace. Dt. 33:6-11.

3. Simeon: Be a Light to the Lost Within the Nation.

4. The Sons of Rachel: God Blesses You For Your Faithfulness. Dt. 33:12-17.

5. Leah’s Fifth and Sixth Sons: The Blessings Through Unity in the Spirit. Dt. 33:18-19.

6. The Sons of the Concubines: The Blessing of God’s Spiritual Adoption. Dt. 33:20-25.

7. Give Thanks for Jesus’ Mercy and Grace. Dt. 33:26-29.